Eliminate Household Germs By Changing Your Habits

Household germs can make you sick at any time of the year. Bacteria can thrive in many locations that people don’t know about.

To make your living space a healthier environment, you may have to alter some of your behavior. Winter is usually the best time to change the way you clean your home.

Use appliances to eliminate germs

People tend to assume that a toilet carries more germs than the kitchen sink. But most of the time, that’s not the case. Unless the toilet is covered in visible feces, your sink probably has more germs living on it.

Sponges can be one of the locations where lots of wee beasties hang out. To reduce the germs on a sponge, toss it in the dishwasher every once in a while. This will kill the germs, but not damage the sponge.

Cutting boards are another common host for bacteria. Wash the boards in the dishwasher or lightly bleach them if they’re made of wood.

Wiping electronic devices that get a lot of handling, such as remote controls, can kill harmful organisms that gather on them as well.

Simple changes to improve quality of health

If a faucet has been left unused all night, it’s probably holding many germs inside the tube by morning. Run it for a minute or so to flush out the unwanted guests.

The water temperature doesn’t make a huge difference, but hotter is always better. The same thing should be done in the shower.

Taking off your shoes after a long workday can reduce the spread of bacteria on your furniture as well. People will carelessly rest their feet on surfaces where they place food and drinks at other times. This is not recommended because it gives germs an opportunity to spread to your food.

Cleaning toothbrushes regularly in a dishwasher can scour off bacteria. A better option for most families is to invest in a toothbrush sanitizing machine. This is a device that emits ultraviolet light to kill the germs on a toothbrush.

Simply changing the location of a much-used toothbrush can get rid of bacteria. Consider tucking your brushes away in a cabinet that is located a distance from the toilet. Don’t allow water to stand in the brush holder.

Add signs around your house

Posting simple reminders around your home can lower the chances of a cold or flu. Hang a note in the bathroom to remind everyone to wash their hands for 30 seconds will improve household hygiene. The sign doesn’t need to be large to be effective.

Putting up a chart on the fridge can also remind your family to do simple chores that eliminate bacteria infections. Jot down a special time of the week to wash the sponges in the dishwasher, clean the sink, or even put up a reminder to wash hands before meals.

Getting creative with such reminders can make them more effective. Devise a game with the kids to see who can keep their fingers away from their face the longest. Many people touch their face more often than they realize throughout the day, which transfers bacteria from everything they’ve touched — from money to elevator buttons — into their system.

Anna is a freelance writer and researcher from the Olympia, WA area who loves to obsess about weird topics and then write about them. When she isn't writing, she is outside on her bike and comtemplating her eventual trip to graduate school.